The Long Spring.

It's been a long time getting to spring, and while we're in the full flower of it here in Boise, the higher elevations are still trying to break free of winter's grip. It hit 75 for the first time this year here a few days, and it was great wearing shorts and not carrying a jacket everywhere, but it quickly dropped back into the low 60s.

This weekend O. flew to southern California to see Teresa and her family, and I was feeling a just a bit stir-crazy from being holed up in our cozy, but tiny, apartment for months, so I decided to take a drive to McCall, a mountain resort about a hundred miles north of Boise.

It was a gorgeous drive. The Payette River was in full spring flood.

The forecast called for showers, but though a few drops 

splattered the windshield from time to time, the skies were 

mostly about half clear, with glorious drifts of puffy gray 

and white clouds.

Though the trees were still bare at altitude, these had 

sprouted new branches in bright orange, lending a touch of 

fall color to the greening landsacape.

In McCall itself, at 5500 feet, winter was still in effect. 

There was snow piled everywhere, and Payette Lake 

was still mostly frozen over.

The farmlands north of Weiser were a lush green dotted with 

little yellow flowers and pools of standing water.

And the hillsides were covered with bright yellow drifts of daisies.

Turns out I picked the right day to go, because today it rained most of the day in Boise and it was snowing again in the mountains. Even in May, spring's hold is tenuous. Next week, however, is forecast to be in the 70s. How happy we will be.

P.